Redditer: Scams are really getting very good

[Nut]

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scams are really getting very good​

Serious Discussion

Sharing in the hopes this helps raise awareness.

Got a call today and I usually wouldn't pick up unknown number but I was really flustered due to personal stuff happening all at once so I answered.

Was a guy claiming to be from Prudential and someone had used my NRIC/ singpass to apply a Prudential policy online at X date and Y time, but he wanted to verify my address as Prudential would send a free gift with the policy application. Naturally the address was not mine and I didn't apply online for any new policy so I was shocked. What I was scared by was that he said this application was submitted with singpass so I thought my singpass had been compromised.

He sent me a "insurance policy document" on whatsapp with my full name and IC number and said, are you sure you didn't apply for this?

Long story short, this "prudential" guy referred me to his supervisor to "take my statement and help me record a request to cancel the application". 2nd guy then goes through a song and dance with me, then he says he will refer me to police/ Commercial Affairs Department where a police officer will take my statement.

At this point it sounds too good to be true like police are on standby to talk to me like that? Are they indeed so efficient? But ok I continue.

Third guy sends me a whatsapp with a random number with SPF logo and says can I video call you now. He calls me and looks like a typical local chinese dude, sitting in a blank room wearing a blue vest (like bulletproof vest) that says Police. He says he checked my NRIC number and my singpass has been used at ABC bank on XYZ date to open an account that has been used for moneylaundering. "You know moneylaundering is a very serious offence? I need to take a statement on your movements on XYZ date."

By now I'm realising this is weird, so I said I want to come down in person to make the report. He said as it's a serious offence, if I go down to Cantonment in person I will be detained for a few days. That's when I say ok this is a scam, and hang up on them. No idea what the "policeman" would have asked from me.

But what really got me was they all had legit perfect Singaporean accents. The first 2 guys sounded like the typical helpful insurance guys just trying to get through their SOP of client verification, and then the SOP for when the user wants to report a scam or misuse of personal info. And then we think, well maybe the banks/ insurers do have direct connection at the back end with police to take immediate action on impersonation or singpass misuse. It was also scary to think that my singpass had been compromised.

If the 3rd guy had not threatened to detain me if I go down in person at the station, I think I would not have realised fully what was happening.

 

[jsctan]

The scammers are improving in their understanding of their knowledge in manevering around our institutions.
How do they know so much insider information? Surely come from sinkies/JHK being held. How else who they know?
Our institution are so good in filtering information from sinkies, why are they not able to filter scammers from calling sinkies so
sinkies will stop getting calls from the scammers?